Aymestrey School, Worcester

Scout Tests at Aymestrey School(John Chandler 1956-1961)

_ Before
you were inducted as an Aymestrey School Scout you were a ‘tenderfoot’ and had to do some basic
tests in knots, first aid and points of the compass. Most of the tests were
aimed at becoming a ‘second class’ class Scout which was the level that was
required to go to camp.

_Scout promise and Law We had to learn and be able to recite the Scout Promise at our induction in front of the whole troop.

Knots Reef, Sheetbend, Sheepshank, Clovehitch, Round Turn + 2 half hitches, Bowline. These were ‘tenderfoot’ knots.Lashing Square and Diagonal. We had to use these to construct useful equipment such as stretchers and bridges.

Whipping This was a method of binding the ends of ropes with twine so that they would not fray or unwind. Not needed these days because nylon and polypropylene ropes can be sealed by heating with a match.First Aid Slings, Bandages, Bleeding, Burns, Bones and Resuscitation. Great emphasis was placed on the myriad uses of the triangular bandage which could be used from head wounds to foot sprains.

Map reading Route finding, Grid references, Contours etc. You had to know the points of the compass, how to set (orientate) a map and plan routes. You needed these skills on the long walks at camp.

Semaphore Flags and alphabet code or morse semaphore. Sending and receiving. (I think this was dropped in the late 1950’s, but I remember doing it.)

Fires lighting without paper and you were only allowed two matches. Controlling the size of fire was important. (I remember storing paper thin strips of birch bark under my scout hat so that it would keep dry in wet weather – it would light easily in any conditions.)

Trees recognise about a dozen species throughout the year and know their burning properties. Oak, Ash, Hazel, Cedar, Fir, Pine, Lime, Poplar, Beech, Yew, Elm, Alder. Not only did you need to identify trees in leaf but also in winter you had to know what the bark looked like.

_Axemanship Safe use of axes and saws to fell trees and produce logs.
Use of sheath knife. (From the age of ten or eleven we were considered
responsible enough to handle axes, saws and knives. We were taught to be
safe and use these tools efficiently. I cannot recall any injury
resulting from misuse of knives.)

Axemanship (Courtesy of Mike Powell)

Tents Erecting, dismantling and packing. We practiced this
on the front lawn. Mallets and wooden tent pegs were not easy to handle and the
tents could be temperamental in wet weather.

Journey trekking from point to point and cooking en route. This combined many skills and was an essential part of camp preparation.

Marching and drill This was considered important because Dan considered that the Aymestrey Scout Troop was the best and smartest in Worcestershire. Our drilling and marching reflected the pride that we felt in ourselves.

'Kim's Game' a memory game which consisted of being shown a tray of objects for a couple of minutes and then after it had been covered up you had to either write down or say what objects were on the tray. At one time this was included in the 'tenderfoot' tests.